Machine for placing dishes in cartons-or containers



P 9, 1953 R. c. STENGER 2,553,743

MACHINE FOR PLACING DISHES IN CARTONS OR CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 10, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Richard C. 61607. BY

P 1953 R. c. STENGER ,6 3, 43

MACHINE FOR PLACING DISHES IN CARTONS OR CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 10, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 mxamm 1m:

1 INVENTOR.

5 Ric/90rd C die/2 er Sept. 29, 1953 c, STENGER 2,653,743

MACHINE FOR PLACING DISHES IN CARTONS OR CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 10, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 5 I i f i INVENTOR.

wyzea? latented Sept. 29, 1953 umrw STATES err-ice MACHINE FOR PLACING. DISHES ABQONS-Q N AINERS Richard CpStenger, Kalamaz oo Mich, assignop to Sutherland Paper Company. Kalamazoo V,

Mich;

l s ii n au r im 9 :S r al.NQJMZi;

- other productsrequiring dishes.

Second, to provide a machine or apparatus of this character which is of large capacity and at the same time is simple in structure and positive in operation.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. Theinvention is defined and pointed out Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view'of' a machine embodying my invention, various parts being omitted as not being deemed necessary to the features illustrated in this view.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary viewpartially in vertical transverse section-on a line corresponding to line 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary-plan -view of-the dish magazine and delivery chute mechanism, the magazine uprights or side members beingshown in section.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged-fragmentary view in section on a line corresponding to line -4-4= f Fig. 2 showing details of the suctiorrcontrol-valve. with the control valve in position to communicate with the inlet'port-of the suctioncup carrying plunger.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view partiallyintlon! gitudinal section and partially in side elevation. of a modified iorm or embodiment'of myinvem tion.

Fig.- 6 is an enlarged fragmentary i rearelevational view of'the suction cup mounting of Fi 5*andpartially sectioned-to illustrate theisuc-r.

tion connections and the controlctherefort Fig. 7-is an enlarged. fragmentary-view par. tially in transverse section illustrating the. rela:..

pos tion y o te ne ia 8 5w e a ed fr ment ry View} of. h magazine in section on a line corresponding to,

The embodiment of, my invention illustrated is designed for the assembling of dishes in tray like containers or cartons or the bottoms,..oi a tons such esi at d by t e. umera I; The .v apparatus is I shown in operative, relation to .a .machi'ne, d fii nated general1y.by the n meral 2, designed for, erecting these, containers. or cartons l fromflat blanks. However, thede tailsofvthe erecting machine form no part er y pr nti v n io The embodiment of my invention-. illustratedv comprises, an endless .conveyer shaving, cross'l pieces 4 .longitudinally spaced thereon; and, pro vided ,with a} series of,fiights 5. These-flights are adapted to project through the 1ongitudinal slots .0 a es etwee e a ally. aced.

slats or bars 1 of the conveyer .way, designated generallyby the numeral 8., The containers 1. are discharged iromlthe-erectingmachine 2;'or. otherwisedischarged or placed u'pon thejway 8-; to, be translated thereon by the. flights 5. The. containers are delivered by the feed conveyer. onto the rec eiving conveyer belt 9 w'hich islde; signed to carry them past operators 'or fillingfs'taf tions in which the contents are. placed. in the dishes [0 which have ,beendepositedjin, the con; tainers The drive shaft vI I is provided with sprockets I Z for the conveyer chains carrying thelflights 5. The rear end portion of the way is appr'o'xig mately horizontal as shown in Figs. 1 and', ,5-, the, forward .portion being inclined.. The sprocket} wheel I 2 and. the, driving shaft. I areso. disposed relativev to the guides [3 that the. flights areie; traoted atthe rear of. their stroke therebyreleas; ing the: containers; the containers in advancejof the released containers beingsuccessively pushed along lby,v succeeding. containers. These flights, are so spaced that a. step. by step feed-.results'fat the delivery endflof, the, conveyer way although theifeed conveyer is continuouslydriven. I In thqembodim ent shown in Figs. 1 to .4, in;

s ve, I prbvid. ad agazi e d si nated, gne allw rthe numeral lwhich compris ea; suppo t ng plate I 5 having a. central opening I 6 therein. This supporting plate carries a,' pin: rality oi angu'larly positioned or spaced rodlilg'e side members I l which are adjustably supported n up tin late, I5 y' means iba members I 8 ,having longitudinal slots l9 therein receiving the screws 2i). This permits themaga f i being, dapt d or dishes i f ren d; 1.11% er i ihe. e hema azin The b se l te 5 is, car ed. was 2 he.

hut h i h. isw ed el w, it e riasa'z nd' qli ed o. i c a g r v f h transferred f m the mae zi 'thejclmie by one. The chute is provided with side guides 3 23 for the dishes. The dishes are discharged to the chute one by one by means of the suction cup 24 which is mounted on the vertically reciprocating plunger 25 slidably supported in the guides 26 and 21.

The spring 28 serves to retract the plunger. The suction cup is mounted to reciprocate through the opening 29 in the chute. The suction cup is disposed at an angle on the plunger corresponding to the angle at which the bottom of the bottom dish of the stack is supported. The magazine is provided with retaining lugs 30 which support the stack of dishes but permit the dishes being pulled one by one from the bottom of the stack. The dishes are formed of paper or have yielding rims so that they can be pulled past these supporting lugs. The plunger is actuated in timed relation to the feed of the containers by means of the cam 3| on the shaft I I. Driving means for the shaft H is conventionally indicated at 32.

The plunger is provided with a suction conduit or passage 33 having a laterally opening port 34 which alternately becomes a suction port and a venting port or venting passage 33 to the atmosvided with a guide way 38 embracing the valve.

When the plunger is in retracted position as shown by full lines in Fig. 2, the port 84 is open to the atmosphere, thereby breaking the suction on the cup when the plunger is in retracted position. The cup, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, is engaged with the bottom of the bottom dish of the stack and is subject to suction so that on the retracting stroke of the plunger the bottom dish is pulled from the magazine and is released upon the chute to be discharged into the containers on the feed conveyer as shown in the drawing.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, the parts are arranged substantially as described with the exception of the mounting of the suction cup and the control connections therefor. In this embodiment the suction cup 24 is mounted upon the head 39 carried by the arm 40 on the rock shaft 4!, having a passage 42 therein which communicates with passage in the arm 40 and through it with the head 39, as is best shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In this embodiment the suction cup carrying head is provided with a vent 43 controlled by the valve 44 which, when the suction cup is in retracted position, is opened by the spring tappet 45.

The rock shaft is connected by the conduit 46 to a suitable source of vacuum or suction source. When the suction cup is in retracted position it is below the bottom of the chute 47 which corresponds to the chute 22 and has an opening 48 therein through which the suction head and cup swing. The rock shaft 4| is provided with an arm 49 which is connected by the link 50 to the crank pin 5| of the crank 52 on the shaft H or a shaft corresponding to the shaft II.

In this embodiment the magazine is in a vertical position and comprises the support 53 having the angularly spaced side members or uprights 54 receiving the stack of dishes. The magazine is provided with retaining lugs 55 past which the dishes are successively pulled by the suction cup. In Fig. 7 the bottom dish is illustrated as being engaged and initially moved by the suction cup. Both embodiments of my invention are commercial embodiments but that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, is presently regarded by me as a. preferred construction.

I have illustrated and described my invention in these embodiments as it is believed that they will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for assembling dishes and cartons comprising in combination, an endless feed conveyor provided with longitudinally spaced flights, a feed way provided with longitudinal openings through which the flights project on the work stroke thereof for translating containers along the way, a magazine disposed at the side of said feed way and adapted to receive a stack of upwardly facing dishes, dish holding projections disposed at spaced intervals around the bottom of said magazine to engage and support the edges of the bottom dish of a stack of dishes in said magazine, a delivery chute disposed below said magazine and inclined toward said way to deliver dishes to containers translated on the way, said magazine being disposed to support the stack of dishes in a position normal to the chute so that the bottom of the bottom dish is supported in a plane parallel to the plane of the chute, the chute having an opening therein below the magazine, a vertically reciprocating plunger disposed to reciprocate through said opening and having a suction cup disposed thereon at an angle corresponding to the angle of the bottom of the lower most dish in the magazine, said suction cup being movable by said plunger from below said chute through said opening to the bottom dish in said magazine, said plunger having a suction passage therein opening to said cup and having a lateral port opening at one side thereof, a spring biased valve mounted at the side of the plunger in thrust engagement therewith, a suction conduit connected to said valve, said port being connected to said suction conduit through said valve when the plunger is in its actuated position to engage the suction cup with the bottom of the bottom dish of the magazine and opened to break the section connection when the plunger is in retracted position, a continuously rotatable driving shaft for said feed conveyer, an actuating cam for said plunger mounted on said driving shaft, and a retracting spring for said plunger whereby successive bottom dishes are pulled past said projections and discharged from said magazine in timed relation with the translation of containers by said feed conveyer and the dishes discharged into the containers.

2. A machine for assembling dishes and cartons comprising in combination, an endless feed conveyer provided with longitudinally spaced flights, a feed way provided with longitudinal openings through which the flights project on the work stroke thereof for translating containers along the way, a magazine disposed at the side of said feed way and adapted to receive a stack of upwardly facing dishes, dish holding projections disposed at spaced intervals around the bottom of said magazine to engage and support the edges of the bottom dish of a stack of dishes in said magazine, a delivery chute disposed below said magazine and inclined toward said way to deliver dishes to containers translated on the way, said magazine being disposed 5 to support the stack of dishes in a position normal to the chute so that the bottom of the bottom dish is supported in a plane parallel to the plane of the chute, the chute having an opening therein below the magazine, a vertically recip- 5 rocating plunger disposed to reciprocate through said opening and having a suction cup disposed thereon at an angle corresponding to the angle of the bottom of the lower most dish in the magazine, said suction cup being movable by said plunger from below said chute through said openby said plunger and suction cup will pull each Successive bottom dish past said projections and release it on to said chute.

RICHARD C. STENGER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 908,457 Fallon, Jr. Jan. 5, 1909 955,112 Abrams Apr. 12, 1910 982,092 Robinson Jan. 17, 1911 1,373,187 Freeman Mar. 29, 1921 1,794,198 Murray Feb. 24, 1931 1,881,845 Morris Oct. 11, 1932 2,079,778 Thom May 11, 1937 2,304,146 Brinton Dec. 8, 1942 2,444,504 Grogan July 6, 1948 

